Basting clamp



Sept 23', l941- v 'l II.. A. WEBB 2,256,634 l BASTING CLAMP v FiledMarch 22, 1941 FOR THE FIRM A TTOIQLVEKS Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITEDSTATESv PATENT OFFICE AsrING CLAMP s Louis A. Webb, Pasadena,Calif.Application March 22, 1941, seria1No.ss4,724

7 Claims.

This invention relates to bastingA tools for securing in assembledIace-to-face relationship two or more plates of sheet metal or othermaterial as a preliminary to performing an operation upon said platesrequiring that they be firmly held in such assembled face-to-facerelationship while the operation is being performed.

Basting tools of the -class to which this invention relates find theirmost common field of use' in securing and holding in fixed face-to-facerelationship'two. plates previously drilled to provide a plurality ofregistering perforations for the reception of rivets, which, wheninstalled in the perforations, permanently secure the plates together.After two such perforated plates are placed together with theirregistering perforations axially aligned several of the basting toolsare placed in a correspondingnumber of registering pairs ofperforations, rivets are installed in the lremaining perforations, thebasting tools are removed from the plates, and the perforations whichhad been occupied b'y the basting tools are then riveted.

It is one object of this invention to provide a basting tool which shallbe simple, inexpensive applied and withdrawn from the plate to beriveted or otherwise operated upon.

It is another object of the invention lto provide a basting tool oflight weight and onewhich may be manually operated without the useofpliers or other auxiliary tools.

It is another object of the invention to provide a basting tool whichmay be inserted and withdrawn from the perforations in the plates with arectilinear movement substantially perpendicular to the plates withoutthe necessity of'laterally shifting the tool during its movement into orout of the perforations. l

While one embodiment of the invention is shown and vdescribed in thedrawing and specification herein, the principles of construction whichare characteristic of the invention are capable ct embodiment in othersimilar tools, and while the particular embodiment shown and describedherein is a tool intended primarily for use in preparing plates forbeing riveted together, it is apparent that` this particular embodimentand other embodiments are capable of use for other purposes in otherfields either for temporarily holding two objects in assembledrelationship while work operations are being performed upon them` or fortemporarily securing them together for other purposes or for eiecting apermanent assembled relationship.

In the drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a basting tool embodying thisinvention and of two plates to be basted, the plunger of the tool beingshown in fully projected position ready for passage through a pair ofregistering perforations in the plates;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the tool in operativerelationship to the plates and with the plunger partially retracted;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the tool shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of the plunger shownin Figs. 1 and 2 taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the tool shown' inFigs. 1 and 2 taken along the line 5--5 ofhFig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of theinvention; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the tool shown in Fig. 6 takenalong the line I-I of Fig. 6. l

The tool comprises in general a body or housing II, a plunger I2,.andactuating and controlling devices for the plunger which wilibe named andexplained in the course of the following description of the tool.

The body II comprises a metallic cylinder Il open at each of its ends.Integrally secured to the upper end of the cylinder I3 are two diamet-Yricallyv opposite finger holds or handles Il extending horizontallyoutwardly from the cylinder I3 andy shaped in the form of a downwardlyconcave curve for comfortable conformation to the fingers of theoperator. The upper terminal edges of the cylinder I3 between thehandles I4 are bent horizontally inwardly to form two narrow lips I5.

A cylindrical cap I6 slidably lits within the upper end portion of thewall of the cylinder I3. This cap I6 has a side wall I'I and an upperend wall I8 providing a cylindrical recess I5. The outer surface of thewall II is formed with a downward facing annular shoulder I9aintermediate of its ends and an upwardly facing shoulder 213 near itslower end. As the cap I6 is reciprocally moved within the cylinder I3.the

-lips I5 serve as a stop to limit downward moveland opposite to thevjected position shown in Fig.

the cap I8 upon engagement with the shoulder 20;

'I'he plunger I2 is preferably made in the form of a cotter'pin havingan eye 2| at its upper end seated against the upper end wall I8 of thecap I8 and having a pair of legs 22 of substantially semi-circular crosssectional shape, and ar-v lugs 32 and the shoulder 3| at the juncturewhen the lugs 32 first engage the surface 34 is at least as great as thesum of the axial length of the \ring 28 and the combined thickness ofthe plates to be basted.

In using the tool, two plates 36 and 31 are placed together with theirperforations, as, for

instance, perforations 38 and 39, in registry.

dially inwardly turned flange 26 formed on the lower end of the cylinderwall I3. The flange 28 is seated within an annular groove 21 formed in agasket 28 of rubber or other deformable material. The gasket 28prevents'outward movement of thev ring 24, and that portion of thegasket 28 which projects beyond the flange 21 engages, in a manner to belater explained, the inner face of the inner of two plates which are tobe basted.

A helical spring 23 is operatively interposed between the eye 2| and thering 24. This spring is under compression and applies a resilientpressure to the eye 2| and through it to the cap I6, causing the capwhen otherwise free to move to assume a position inwhich the shoulderengages the lip. |9a and the plunger I2 is in a fully retractedposition. 'I'he plunger I2 is moved against the action of thespring 29from its fully retracted position.y to a fully projected position asshown in'Figs. 1 and 4 when the operator places two of his fingers underthe handles |4 and with his thumb presses down upon the end wall |8 ofthe cap I8.

The outer ends 80 of the legs 22 of the plunger I2 are pointed, andshaped so that when the legs are in transverse registry, as shown inFig. 1, the two pointed ends form a cone-shaped tip which is readilyinsertable in a plate perforation. Just above the pointed end 30, eachleg is recessed radially inwardly on one side to provide a shoulder 3|,extending perpendicularly across the leg from the flat face 28. The end80 is thus provided with a laterally extending lug 88. Spacedsubstantially inwardly from this .shoulder and on the opposite edge ofthe flat fase iects lei to 28 of the leg a lug 82 is formed whichprooutwardly from the leg in a direction paralthe plane of cleavagebetween thel flat faces direction oflateral projection of the lug 88. f

When the.p1unger i2 moves-'from its-fully pro- 1, inwardly, as itreaches a position relative to the housing, which is intermediate itsposition of full projection and full retraction, the lugs 82. engage aninner cylindrical face 84 of the ring 24, the lugs 82 acting as camfollowers, and the cylindrical surface 84 acting as a cam to move thetwo legs 22 from a position of transverse alignment inl parallelism witheach other to a position in which they form a slight angle about the eye2| as a center. This movement of the legs 22 is in planes parallel tothe plane of cleavagebetween the ,flat faces of the legs and isresiliently resisted by the torsional stress set up in a yoke portion 8lof the eye 2|. when the legs 22 are thus spread, the lugs 88 moveoutwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. The distance longitudinally of theplunger between the the top wall I8 of the cap I6, and the cap is deypressed until the shoulder I9a engages the lip I5 and is held in thatposition against the compressive action of the spring 29. With the legs22 in transverse registry andlthe outer ends 30 forming a conical point,the" plunger is passed through the two perforations until the shoulders3| are disposed beyond the outer face of the plate 31. Holding theplunger in this position with respect to the plates, preferably bypressing the lugs 32 against the inner face of the inner plate 36, thecylinder I3 is allowed to move downwardly by lightening the upwardpressure under the handle I4. When the ring 24 in its downward movementengages the lugs 32, the legs 22 are angled sidewise with respect toeach other enlarging the span' of the end of the plunger in the plane ofcleavage between the flat faces 23 of the legs of the plunger. As theupward pressure of the fingers under the handle I4 is further relaxed,the shoulders 3| are drawn upward into contact with the outer face ofthe outer place 31 and the gasket 28 is forced downward against theinner surface of the inner plate 38, resiliently but firmly clamping thetwo plates together.

After the rivets have been installed in the perforations unoccupied bybasting tools, each of the basting tools is withdrawn by grasping thetool between the fingers and thumb as before, projecting by thumbpressure the plunger to its outermost position in which the legs 22 ofthe plunger are again transversely the housing and plunger held in thisrelative position, withdrawing the plunger from the aligned perforations38 and 39. This movement of withdrawal is facilitated if the shoulder 3|of each leg is shrouded by that portion of the other leg immediatelyopposite it as shown in Fg..1. This shrouding is accomplished byproperly shaping that portion of the leg lying between its lug 32 andits shoulder 3|.- The shrouding of each shoulder 3| by the portion ofthe' other leg opposite the shoulder obviates accidental catching ofeither of the shoulders on the outer face 3f the outer plateas theplunger is being withrawn.

n; wm be observed that the-'plunger is so shapes.

thatiit may be' movediinto and out of the perforation.by a rectilineardicular to the plane of the plates. There are no projections onu thehousing and the plunger is smooth sided thus obviating the need of atransverse shifting of the plunger or an angling thereof during eitherthe .movement of insertion of the plunger through the ap'ertures of theplates or a withdrawal of it therefrom.

If desired the caps I6 may be made of plastic material of differentcolors indicative respectively of the size of perforation for which thetool is adapted. Thus tools may be quickly selected from a pilecontaining tools of different colors, for any particular job in whichthe perforations are of a given size or sizes.

Fig. 6 and Fig. 'I illustrate another embodiment of the invention,representing a tool adapted for aligned and, with 'l movement in a pathperpenannessi of the flange 42, and thereafter the flange is curledinwardly in seated relationship within the groove 445 permittingrotation of the nut 44 withA respect to the cylinder 4I. A plunger 46has a threaded upper end 41 which engages the threads of a bore 48 ofthe nut 44. The lower end of the plunger 45 is split in the manner`of acotter-pin providing legs 49 and 50.' The upper portions I of the legs49 and 50 are rectangular and slidably. engage a correspondinglyrectangularly apertured guide plate 52. The guide plate 52 is open endof the cylinder 4I prior to the formation sprung into position duringthe course of manufacture and assembly of the tool with tongues 53formed on the guide plate seated in conforming apertures 54 in the wallof the cylinder 4I.

The legs 49 and 50 are provided with pointed ends 55, shoulders 56, andcam follower lugs 51 of the same character as the pointed ends ll,shoulders 3l, and lugs 32 of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1to 5, inclusive. The lugs 51 cooperate with the inner face 54 of theenlarged wall 43 of 'the cylinder 4I in the same manner as do thelugs'l! with th'e inner face 34 of the ring 24.

The operation of the form of the invention "shown in Figs. 5 land 6 isin general similar to that of the form of the invention shown in Figs.

1 to 5, inclusive. The differences in operation are obvious. The plungeris both projected and withdrawn by manually screwing the nut 44. Nogasket corresponding to the gasket 241s provided, because the ytype ofwork for which the tool is adapted, does not require protection of theinner face of the inner plate from being marred.

In the above description and in the claims the words inner, inward, andinwardly have been used to signify in a direction away from the platesto be basted, and the words "outer," out- ,wardf and outwardly have beenused in the opposite sense.

In the annexed claims the word plunger is used to denote amember, likethe cotter pin I2, which is adapted to pass through the hole in theplates and engage the lower plate 31 by means similar to the shouldersor abutments 3|, thus exerting an upward pressureon the lower surface ofthe lower plate. The plunger is divided into two half plungers, thelower ends of which have a limited movement with relation to each otherin a direction perpendicular to the surface of the paper, as shown inFig. 4.

The body or housing I I shown in Fig. 4 and the cylinder 4I shown inF18. 6, with the parts rigidly attached thereto, are called pressingmembers,

l since they press downwardly on the upper surface of the upper plate3B.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a tool for basting plates having registering perforationspreliminary to installing permanent fastening. devices in saidperforations, the combination of: an yelongated hollow housing open ateach of its ends; a plunger in the` form of a cotter pin longitudinallyreciprocably mounted in said housing; an elongated closing caplongitudinally slidably mounted in one end of said housing and formedwith a central inwardly opening bore recess. 'the eye of said coty ter.pin being seated against the bottom wall of said recess; stop means forlimiting the move- "ment of said cap in each direction; a centrallyapertured ring ooncentrically fixed within the 'outer end of 'saidhousing. the shank of said legs of said cotter pin, each of saidshoulders being elongated in a direction perpendicular to andintersecting the cleavage plane between said legs; and oppositelydisposed cam lugs on said legs of said cotter pin projecting from saidlegs in planes parallel to said cleavage plane, each lug beingoppositely directed from its corresponding shoul der, said lugs being.adapted to engage the wall of said central aperture of said ring andspread said legs, moving them in directions parallel to said cleavageplane against the `spring action of said eye. and thereby spread saidshoulders, as said cotter pin is retracted to a position in which saidshoulders are spaced from the outer end of said housing a distance atleast equal to the combined thickness of said plates.

2. In a basting clamp adapted to temporarily secure together two platesin desired alignment with each other prior to permanently securing saidplates together, said clamp being adapted to bendjustedin a hole passingthrough both plates, 'and comprising: a plunger adapted to, be insertedthrough 'said hole from an upper space adjacent the upper plate into alower space adjacent the lower plate, said plunger being formed in twohalves, the lower ends of the two half plungers having a limitedmovement with relation to each other in a direction parallel adapted toabut against the upper surface of said upper'plate; cam means betweeneach half plunger and said pressing member so placed that the lower endsof said half plungers are held in their expanded position with saidabutments engaging tlie lower surfaces of said lower plate whenever saidpressing member is forced into contact with the upper surface of saidupper plate; 'and means acting between said pressing member andsaidplunger to pull said plunger upwardly and force said pressing memberdownwardly. v

3. In a basting clamp adapted to temporarily secure together two platesin desired alignment .with each other prior to penmanently securingsaid. plates together, said clamp being adapted to be adjusted in a'hole passing through both plates, and comprising: a plunger adapted tobe inserted through said hole from an upperspace adjacent the upperplate into a lower space adjacent the lower plate, said plunger beingformed in two halves, the lower ends of the two half plungers having alimited movement with relatlondto each' other in a' direction parallelto a plane formingv the dividing Vsurface be'- tween said half plungers,each of said half plungc plungerstogether at their upper ends in such amanner that the lower ends of said half plungers are elastically forcedinto a retracted posiing an abutment formed near the lower end thereofand adapted to engage the lower surelastically forced into a retractedposition so that they will pass readily through said hole; a presstionso that they 'will pass readily through said hole; a pressing membersurrounding said plunger and adapted to abut against the upper surfaceof said upper plate; cam means between each half plunger and saidpressing member so placed that the lower ends of said'half plungers areheld in their expanded position with said abuting member surroundingsaid plunger and adapted to abut against the upper surface of saidupsaid half plungers on the 'side thereof opposite said abutment and soplaced that they are enments engaging the lower surfaces of said lowerplate whenever said pressing member is forced into contact with theupper surface of said upper plate; and a compression spring surroundving said plunger and acting between said pressi*y ing member and saidplunger to pull said plunger upwardly and force said pressing memberdownwardly. Y

4. In a basting clamp adapted to temporarily secure together two platesin desired alignment with each other prior to permanently securingsaidplates together, said clamp being adapted to be adjusted in a holepassing through both plates, and comprising: a ,plunger adapted to beinserted through said hole from an upper space adjacent the upper plateinto a lower space adjacent the lower plate, said plunger being ,havingan abutment` formed near the lower end thereof and adaptedio engage thelower surface of said lower plate adjacent said hole when said halfplungers are moved into an expanded position; means for securing saidhalfplungers l together at their upper ends in such a manner that thelower ends of said half plungers are elastically forced into a retractedposition so that they will pass readily through said hole; a pressingmember surrounding said plunger and adapted to abut against the uppersurface fof said upper plate; a cam member formed on each of said halfplungersv on the side thereof opposite said abutment andso placed thatthey are engaged by said pressing member to. force the lower ends ofsaid half plungers into their expanded position when said pressingmember is in abutment with the lupper surface of said upper plate; andmeans acting between said pressing member and said plunger to pull saidplunger upwardly and force said pressing member downlwardly 5. a bastingclamp adapted to temporarily secure together two plates in desiredalignment with each other prior to permanently securing said platestogether. said clamp being adapted to be adjusted in a hole passingthrough both.

plates, and comprising: a plunger adapted to be inserted through saidhole from an upper space adjacent the upper plate into a lower spaceadjacent the lower plate, said plunger being formed in two halves, thelower ends of the two half plungers having a limited movement withrelation to each other in a direction parallel to a plane forming thedividing surface between said half plungers, each of said half plungershavgaged by said pressing member 'to force the lower ends of said halfplungers into their expanded position when said pressing member is inabutment with the upper surface of said upper plate; and a compressionspring surrounding said plunger and acting between said pressing memberand said plunger to pull said plunger upwardly and force said pressingmember downwardly.

6. In a basting clamp adapted to temporarily inserted through said holefrom an upper space adjacent the upper plate into a lower space adjacentthe lower plate', said plunger being formed in two halves, the lowerends of the two half plungers having a. limited movement with relationto each other in a direction parallel to a 4plane forming the dividingsurface between said half plungers, each of said half plungers having anabutment formed near the lower end thereof and adaptedv to 'engage thelower surface of said lower plate adjacent said hole when said halfplungers are moved into an expanded position; means forsecuring saidhalf plungers together at their upper ends in such amanner that thelower ends of said half plungers are elastically forced into a retractedposition `so that they will pass readily. through said hole; a pressingmember surrounding said plunger and adapted to abut against the uppersurface of said upper plate; cam meansbetweenl each half plunger andsaid pressing member so placed that the lower ends of said half plungersare held in their expanded position with said abutments engag ing thelower surfaces of said lower plate whenever said pressing member isVforcedinto contact with the upper surface-of said upper plate; a

member, the upper end of said plunger abutting in said cap; andacompression spring so placed that it forces said plunger upwardly andsaid pressing member downwardly.

7. In a basting clamp adapted to temporarily secure together two platesin desired alignment with each other prior `to permanently securing saidplates together, said clamp being adapted to be adjusted in a holepassing through both plates, and comprising: a plunger adapted to beinsert- .edthrough said hole from an upper space adjacent the upperplate into a lower space adjacent the lower plate, 4said plunger beingformed in two halves, the lower'ends of the two half plungers having alimited movement lwith relation to each other in a direction parallel toa plane forming the dividing surface between said half plungers,

each of said halfplungers having an abutment formed near the lower endthereof and adapted aandeel;

to engage lthe lower surface of said lower plate adjacent said hole whensaid half plungers are moved into anexpanded position: means forsecuring said halt phmgers together at their upper ends in such amanner'that the lower ends of said half piungers are elastically forcedinto a retracted position so that they will pass readily through saidhole; a pressing member surrounding said plunger and adapted toabutagainst the upper surface oi said upper plate; a cam member formed oneach of said halt plungers on the side thereof cppodte said abutment andso downwardly.

upper end o! said plunger abutting in said cap;

and a compression spring so placed that it forces said plunger upwardlyand said pressing member l LOUIS A. WEBB.

